Back in July, Axl and I visited The Human Abstract at the Machine Shop in New Jersey, where they were recording their new album, Digital Veil, with producer Will Putney. Between the (then) six members of the band and the two of us, there were way too many people to do one interview, so we ended up splitting up into groups and conducting three interviews. The first, with guitarist A.J. Minette (before he was a MetalSucks columnist) and vocalist Travis Richter, was published a couple of weeks back; the second, with since-departed guitarist Andrew Tapley and drummer Brett Powell, follows below. We’ll run the final interview with guitarist Dean Herrera and bassist Henry Selva in the coming weeks.

Even though these interviews were conducted before the album was even completed, in a lot of ways they’re far more interesting now that Digital Veil is done and released. Powell and Tapley share some interesting thoughts on selecting and consequently working with producer Will Putney, how they chose Travis Richter and Henry Selva to fill the vacant vocalist and bassist spots and how A.J. came back to the band (and what his two-year stint as a classical guitar major at University of Southern California brought to the new record). These many months later, it’s especially interesting to read Tapley’s (and to a lesser extent Powell’s) take on how the band planned to procede with three guitarists. They also mouth off on “scene” bands and how as a young band they were coerced into doing things they didn’t necessarily want to do.

Fun-time with Brett and Tapley after the break.

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If you’re a regular reader of MetalSucks, then you already know how much we love The Human Abstract; their new album, Digital Veil, is surely one of the best of the year so far, and guitarist A.J. Minette’s recurring MS column, “Abstract Theory,” is always a fascinating read.

Which is why we’re so thrilled to be co-sponsoring the band’s first headlining run in support of Veil! With Scale the Summit, This or the Apocalypse, Letlive, Across the Sun, No Bragging Rights, and (on select dates) Elitist all playing support, you just know that these shows are gonna be an awesome time. Seriously, this is the first can’t-miss tour of the spring/summer season, so make sure you get your ass to a show! Dates after the jump…

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I like doing MetalSucks, in part, because I really do learn something new each and every week. You know what I learned this week, for example?

FUCK VAMPIRES.

Here are some other things we learned this week:

• The dudes in Lazarus A.D. like MetalSucks.
• Swamp Thing and Indian have awesome new music coming out.
• The Human Abstract’s A.J. Minette and Travis Richter know a lot about music theory, Mr. Big’s Eric Martin knows a lot about Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, and Vicious Rumors’ Geoff Thorpe knows a lot about line-up changes.
• The new Rotten Sound album is choice.
• Earache Records is a good label.
• Kittie are bad at making music videos.
• TesseracT are tardy to the djent party.
• Joey Belladonna still can’t sing.
• Rites of Darkness III is gonna be a great festival for bands no one has ever heard of.
• Losing someone you admire still sucks.

I’ll be flying solo for much of next week as Vince and Kip head down to Austin for SXSW and I stay behind to ensure you are as irritated as possible. Won’t you come back and learn some more with me?

-AR

Back in July, Vince and I visited The Human Abstract at the Machine Shop in New Jersey, where they were recording their new album, Digital Veil, with producer Will Putney. Between the (then) six members of the band and the two of us, there were way too many people to do one interview, so we ended up splitting up into groups and conducting three interviews. Below is the first, with guitarist A.J. Minette (before he was a MetalSucks columnist) and vocalist Travis Richter; we’ll run the rest in the coming weeks.

Even though these interviews were conducted before the album was even completed, in a lot of ways, they’re far more interesting now that Digital Veil is done and released (it came out Tuesday on eOne, in case you somehow missed it). For one thing, now when the band talks about the music, you will have already heard it and will know what they’re talking about. There’s a lot of discussion in here about music composition and theory, and about lyrical content; having now heard the album, these interviews feel like having running director’s commentary. After reading this, you’ll be able to go back and re-listen to Digital Veil with a fresh perspective, as well as a better understanding of what the band was aiming for.

But for another thing… yeah, a lot has changed since this interview was conducted. As you’ll see, at the time, the band hadn’t even finalized the name of the album; they had three guitar players, not two; hell, they were still signed to a different label than the one that ended up releasing the record! It’s definitely thought-provoking to see how much things have changed in just eight months.

And so, without further ado, here’s my chat with A.J. and Travis…

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Like every wise metal listener, I heeded Axl’s advice on Monday to get over to AOL for a free spin of The Human Abs Tract’s forthcoming collection of mega-jamz. A bit later, once I returned my thoroughly fucked face to its position atop my neck and cleansed it of A.J. Minette and crew’s milky load, a click or two led me down the queue to a free stream of Jag Panzer’s first record since 2004, The Scourge of the Light (you listen here now). I’ve only admired the Colorado quintet from afar for their contribution of studly guitarist Chris Broderick to Megadeth in 2008, for 2000’s nerdy Macbeth-based concept album Thane To The Throne, and also for their possession of the teeming confidence necessary to have such an easily mockable band name. (Srsly so easy.) Now I admire them from about two inches away from their ballz cuz Scourge is epic American power metal made exceptional by eminently sing-able choruses, themes of frustrated humanism, and impactful, genre-busting restraint. Click here and U R JAMMING!

-ADF

Jag Panzer’s first post-Chris Broderick record, The Scourge of the Light, is out today on Steamhammer/SPV. Order your CD, digital copy, and 2xLP here.

It’s a big week for metal releases. Children of Bodom, Destruction, The Human Abstract, Turisas, and Rival Schools are this week’s heavy hitters, while new ones from Agnostic Front, Maruta, Jag Panzer, Swamp Thing and more give hardcore a surprisingly robust showing. After the jump, all the goods:

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I am almost out of hyperbolic poeticisms to declare how much I fucking love Digital Veil, the new offering from The Human Abstract. Luckily for me, I really don’t have to say anything else about the record, ’cause it’s now streaming in full right here. Listen to it. Learn it. Love it. Get excited about purchasing it tomorrow when it comes out on eOne. Get excited about the band’s current tour with Darkest Hour and some other bands (remaining dates after the jump).

And, oh yeah, if you haven’t already, check out THA guitarist A.J. Minette’s ongoing MetalSucks music theory column, “Abstract Theory.” That shit is seriously, ridiculously informative  – he’s only done three so far, but I get excited each and every time he sends one in.

Okay, I’m gonna go crank this sucker. Discuss its aardvark-baby-impalingness in the comments section below. And here are those tour dates:

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As I’m sure you know based on the seemingly endless number of e-mails we’ve received about it in the last 72 hours, AP has debuted The Human Abstract’s new video, for the title track from their upcoming Digital Veil. And while it’s not the most groundbreaking video ever, it almost doesn’t matter, because it will be fans’ first chance to hear another new THA song. And like all the other songs from Veil that have already been released, it’s so good that I have to question the sanity of anyone who claims not to enjoy it. Check it out:

Digital Veil comes out March 8 on eOne. We have FINALLY heard the entire album, and, yes, you should be really, really excited for this release.

-AR

We’re getting closer and closer to the release of The Human Abstract’s new album, Digital Veil, and now the band has unveiled another new track. It’s called “Complex Patterns,” and you can listen to it right here.

Seriously, if you’re not impressed with these tunes we’ve been hearing, I don’t wanna know you. I’ve only heard like half the album, and I’m already convinced it’s far and away the best thing the band has ever recorded. You know how people are always going on and on about the challenges of combining technicality with strong hooks? Well, The Human Abstract make that shit look easy. These songs are fucking KILLER.

Listen listen listen. Digital Veil comes out March 9 on eOne.

-AR

Well, this is kind of a bummer.

Andrew Tapley — who, until recently at least, was one of three guitar players in The Human Abstract — has posted the following message on his Facebook page:

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This is the kind of stuff I really get a kick out of because it illustrates just how closely certain kinds of metal are related to classical music. Check out this “dueling guitar” performance of the “Summer” theme of Vivaldi’s famous Four Seasons suite, as sent in by MS reader Kyle:

Now compare that composition to The Human Abstract’s new song “Faust.” Pay particular attention to the way the guitars are split up; instead of having one guitar play chords and the other play leads like most bands do — or just having both guitars do the same thing — the guitar structure underneath the chorus is much more similar to the way the left hand and right hand of a piano piece are divided (with the vocals providing an additional dimension… the equivalent of lead violin, or a brass instrument, or what have you) or the way the instruments in an orchestra are divided. A similar thing is happening in the pre-chorus and middle/bridge part.

The Human Abstract’s very talented guitarist and composer A.J. Minette has been writing a regularly recurring column for us about precisely this sort of thing, only in way more detail and with way more finesse than I can. It’s called Abstract Theory; check it out! Your inner music dork will thank you.

-VN

I think I’ve heard slightly less than half of The Human Abstract’s The Digital Veil, and not only was that enough to assure me that it’s going to be great, but it was enough to make me think the band may have made that rarest of gems — a metal album that non-metal heads can appreciate. My theory is based on that fact that, you ignore the screaming vocals, what the band is playing on Veil is basically classical music; I believe that you could, quite literally, have an orchestra play these songs instead of a rock group, and the music would translate perfectly. I mean, you’ve been reading THA guitarist A.J. Minette’s “Abstract Theroy” column, right? “That guy knows his shit” would be the understatement of the decade. These aren’t songs; they’re metallurgic mini-symphonies.

And if “Faust,” the first song they un-Veiled (sorry, couldn’t resist), didn’t convince you that I speak the truth, then “Patterns,” the latest song released, oughta do the trick.

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If you told me there was a tour with Born of Osiris and As Blood Runs Black, I’d probably tell you to have a nice time and let me know how it was. And if you told me that there was a tour with Darkest Hour and The Human Abstract, I’d probably trample your grand ma to get there. I mean, I’m sure she’s a nice lady, but she ain’t no Darkest Hour and The Human Abstract live, y’know?

As it stands, though, all four of these bands will be doing one tour together:

But y’know what? I am not going to bitch about two bands I love touring with two bands I feel lukewarm on, because, hey, at least it’s not two bands I love touring with two bands I hate, y’know? I haven’t seen Born of Osiris live since, uh, I think it was 2007, right when The New Reign came out, and at the time, I was actually pretty impressed — I didn’t sour on them until later, and even then, it was for reasons really having nothing to do with their live show; and I’ve never seen ABRB live, so I can’t talk any smack there, even if I don’t quite understand all the hype that once surrounded that band. So I’ll still take this over a Mayhem Fest or whatever, where I’d have to slog through who knows how many crappy bands just to see Slayer, any day of the week.

Dates are as follows… some of ‘em even have additional bands, like This or The Apocalypse and Sleeping Giant, on the bill:

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So 2011 is officially underway! I mean, we’re two full weeks in — time to stop accidentally writing “2010″ as the date on shit, y’know? We started to preview some albums we’re stoked about, and will continue to do so next week. In the meantime, here’s some other fun crap we did this week:

• The Human Abstract’s A.J. Minette continued his discussion regarding the merits of creative limitation.
• We debuted new music by Deicide, Ulcerate, Owen Hart, and Roger Miret.
• We also reviewed the new Owen Hart album.
• We played a metal edition of “Marry, Fuck, Kill” with both chicks and d00dz.
• We checked out some awesome pictures from Vince and the metalgf’s vacation to Amsterdam and Paris.
• We joined the Scotty Griffin Fanclub.
• We confirmed that Tool are the coolest band ever.
• We felt bad for Mike Portnoy.
• We were upset by Wrest’s arrest for sexual assault and domestic battery.
• And while it was news to us until we heard it from Rush Limbaugh, we were apparently responsible for the Tucson shootings.

Next week brings more debuts, more interviews, and more general Suckitude. See ya then.

-AR

[This article is Part II of A.J.'s piece on writing with Creative Limitation. Read Part I here, and see all of AJ's Abstract Theory columns here.]

Much of this article will be spent discussing how composers of the past have created profound works of art while working within the artificial demands of creative limitations. Stravinsky once said, “The more art is controlled, limited, worked over, the more it is free.”

First, let’s take a look at a literal physical limitation found in Ravel’s “Piano Concerto for the Left Hand.” The piece was composed at the request of concert pianist Paul Wittgenstein. During World War I, Wittgenstein was shot in the arm, which led to an amputation after an infection. He was determined to continue his career as a pianist after his service in the military. Ravel’s approach to writing was affected by this restriction to write for one-hand piano, but if you listen to the music it is characteristically Ravel.

The ability to maintain a musical identity while also exploring new musical approaches is something that many great composers share.

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The great composer Igor Stravinsky once said, “My freedom will be so much the greater and more meaningful the more narrowly I limit my field of action and the more I surround myself with obstacles…The more constraints one imposes, the more one frees one’s self of the chains that shackle the spirit.” By choosing a set of limitations or “compositional parameters” a composer can find direction and exercise his or her imagination. While it may seem counter-intuitive, this approach tends to encourage creativity rather than stifle it.

Screenwriting pedagogue Robert Mckee suggests that “talent is like a muscle: without something to push against, it atrophies. So we deliberately put rocks in our path, barriers that inspire.” While we can deliberately choose some “limitations” or “parameters” sometimes they occur without choice. Let’s take for instance Olivier Messiaen’s “String Quartet for the End of Time.”  In 1940 he was a prisoner of war and had limited access to musicians or instruments. He made due with the instrumentalists available; a pianist, violinist, cellist, and clarinetist. This unconventional ensemble gave Messiaen a “playing field” to work within and stirred his imagination to create a charming and evocative piece of music. While this is a radical case, limitation also occurs in other more conventional forms.

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At least, it was my last time. I feel like I shaved years off my life drinking that crud. Yucky!

Here’s what else we did this week:

• The Human Abstract’s A.J. Minette kicked off his new MetalSucks column, Periphery’s Misha Mansoor checked in from The Legacy Tour, and The Red Chord’s Greg Weeks thinks that Scott Stapp will sore.
• We spoke to R. Loren of Sailors with Wax Wings and White Moth fame.
• We checked out the latest offerings from Deathspell Omega and Nekorgoblikon.
• Speaking of The Legacy Tour: if you’ve ever wanted to see what the blood in Revocation front man Dave Davidson’s head looks like, well, here’s your chance!
• We did our annual bitchfest about the Grammy noms.
• We got lost in a Map of Metal.
• We speculated about which label will land Between the Buried and Me.
• We were envious of the music criticism skills of The Dillinger Escape Plan’s Jeff Tuttle.
• System of a Down are getting back together! Just don’t call it a reunion.
• We spent way too much time talking about Slipknot.

The third night of Heavy Metal Hanukkah is coming a little after 5 pm. Have a good weekend, folks.

-AR

Photo by Jeremy Saffer

The latest sign for Guy Kozowyk’s Black Market Activities label is New Jersey’s Fit for an Autopsy. The band is notable for several reasons (besides the fact that they’re good, I mean), namely:

• They are that rarest of breeds — a good deathcore band. After seeing them live last year, our own Sammy O’Hagar said that “the band’s brutal, glowering take on [deathcore] reminded one of the squandered potential of the genre,” noting that “hardcore grooves and swagger, when incorporated correctly, blend quite well with death metal.” Sammy also complimented front man Nate Johnson, asserting that Johnson’s “serrated vocals provided the oomph needed to put the band over the top.” Oceano: take note.

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[Welcome to the first installment of Abstract Theory with The Human Abstract guitarist A.J. Minette. Through this column A.J. hopes to enlighten and enliven the metal readership on some of the finer points of the theory behind music and music composition in a way that's not overbearing or elitist. We hope you enjoy. -Ed.]

A lot of people like to claim that they love music, or that their life IS music, but how many of us actually give our undivided attention to listening on a regular basis?  One of the best lessons I learned while studying classical music in school was, “The greatest composers throughout history were an incredible balance of passion and intellect.” As listeners, we often take notice of how a piece of music moves us on an emotional level but it’s important to point out that we can also be moved on an intellectual level as well.

Understanding music on a deeper level leads us to a greater appreciation. Let’s take a Bach fugue for example. While the subject of a fugue (opening theme/melody) may be pleasant to listen to, we are intellectually stimulated by its use of counterpoint, harmony, rhythm, and formal architecture.

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Allow me to shill for a beat before the weekend: If you haven’t already bought one of our new, limited edition shirts, go get yours now!!! They’re selling fast, and soon they will be the title of a God Forbid album. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Here’s some other fun stuff we did this week:

• Valient Thorr’s Valient Himself gave us the rundown on Fun Fun Fun Fest, The Red Chord’s Greg Weeks found the CFL fun and confusing, Intronaut’s Sacha Dunable talked about the best and worst drives in the U.S., and The Austerity Program’s Justin Foley is the latest to weigh in on free metal from Scion.
• We debuted new music from Murder Construct.
• We spoke to Pentagram’s Bobby Liebling and Christopher Drew from Nevershotnever and Eatmewhileimhot.
• We checked out the latest releases from Riotgod, Electric Wizard, Rimfrost, and First Blood and Killing the Dream.
• We asked you about old school bands you wanted to like but couldn’t.
• We joined Gene Simmons, Slash, and Dave Navarro in having NOH8 for gays.
• We laughed at both Kirk Hammett and the little girl he kicked.
• We also laughed at Sebastian Bach’s frail ego.
• We got really excited about the new single from The Human Abstract.
• We also got really excited about Decibel‘s new flexi disc series.

Have a nice, relaxing weekend gang. We’ll miss you muchly, but we’ll see ya Monday.

-AR